Of all of the Tom Cruise motion pictures that show he’s greater than an motion star, one in all my favorites is Tropic Thunder. Cruise performed foul-mouthed, simply angered studio govt Les Grossman, a job he signed on for after two particular requests had been met. However Cruise didn’t simply don the fatsuit, prosthetic fingers and bald cap only for the 2008 comedy. He additionally obtained again into character for the 2010 MTV Film Awards, and it was throughout that point that he known as out fellow actor Michael Cera. Oh, how I want there was video of this.
Cera, who’s most just lately been seen within the 2025 film launch The Phoenician Scheme, talked about this encounter whereas showing on The Louis Theroux Podcast. He crossed paths with Cruise in his Les Grossman type when the High Gun actor was taking pictures pre-taped segments for the awards that noticed Les “interacting with varied individuals coming out and in.” Cera was a type of individuals, and he noticed firsthand how a lot of a “chief” Cruise was on set, which explains why the next came about:
The primary second I had with him, I arrived, they had been taking pictures, and I used to be speaking to the author… We had been simply form of mumbling whereas they had been taking pictures, however they may hear us. It was identical to 40 ft away. And Tom Cruise seems at me, I’ve by no means met him, and so they’re in the midst of a take and he seems, and he goes, ‘Is that Michael Cera speaking throughout a fucking take?’ He was joking, nevertheless it was additionally like, ‘Do shut up,’ you understand? However so surreal.
That’s your lesson of the day, children: by no means intrude with Tom Cruise when he’s in the midst of taking pictures a scene. Clearly Michael Cera wasn’t doing this deliberately, and he made it clear within the interview that Cruise wasn’t truly mad at him. However regardless that the 2 had by no means met one another, Cruise didn’t hesitate to tell Cera that he was speaking on the fallacious time. Once more, don’t mess with the person who performed Mission: Unimaginable’s Ethan Hunt for practically three many years in the midst of a take.
It’s not likely stunning Tom Cruise did this contemplating how vital filmmaking is to him, even by Hollywood star requirements. The one factor that might make this story even higher is that if he known as out Michael Cera in character as Les Grossman, profanity and all. Had that occurred although, the lighthearted teasing that Cera talked about under probably wouldn’t have occurred:
Then I met him, he’s like, ‘Speaking throughout a f‑‑‑ing take.’ I knew he was taking part in round, so I used to be like, ‘Hey man, it wasn’t me, it was the author.’ He was like, ‘I am kidding, I am kidding.’ And I used to be like, ‘I am kidding too.’
Tom Cruise and Michael Cera have but to star in a film collectively, however I’ll cross my fingers that occurs sometime. In the event that they left on good phrases with each other 15 years in the past, then let’s see how they do co-starring in a film. Who is aware of, if that long-talked-about Les Grossman spinoff ever will get off the the bottom, possibly Cera may seem in it, whether or not in a supporting function or simply cameoing as himself.
Within the meantime, each Michael Cera and Tom Cruise can nonetheless be seen on the massive display as The Phoenician Scheme and Mission: Unimaginable — The Remaining Reckoning proceed their theatrical runs. Cera may even return later within the yr for the Glen Powell-led movie adaptation of The Working Man.